‘The promise has been kept’ - Nandi-Ndaitwah on heroes’ homecoming

President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah has described the return of two liberation struggle heroes and 84 ancestral human remains to Namibia as an act of restoring the country's dignity, identity and belonging, as the nation prepares to lay the fallen comrades to rest at Heroes' Acre.

Speaking at the arrival ceremony at Hosea Kutako International Airport on Friday, Nandi-Ndaitwah said the homecoming marked the end of decades of separation from the country and the families for which the deceased had sacrificed their lives.

"Today, Hosea Kutako International Airport is more than a point of arrival. It is the place where we gather to receive the remains of our people whose lives were caught in some of the most difficult chapters of our history," she said.

The president said the occasion marked a moment for solemn reflection, gratitude and national pride.

"The promise has been kept: our nationals have returned to the warm soil of the country for whose freedom they gave their lives."

Namibia received 84 ancestral human remains that had been kept at the Iziko Museum in South Africa, a development Nandi-Ndaitwah described as an important step in confronting one of the country's painful historical legacies.

The repatriation also included the remains of liberation struggle veterans Festus Nehale and Simon Petrus Niilenge, who were imprisoned on Robben Island for their political involvement in Namibia's fight for independence alongside political prisoners from both Namibia and South Africa.

"For decades, the remains of our people rested far from the land they loved and far from the families who longed for their return. Their arrival today therefore represents much more than the end of a long journey. It is an act of restoration, the restoration of dignity, identity and belonging," Nandi-Ndaitwah said.

She also paid tribute to families who had endured more than five decades of loss and uncertainty, saying the nation recognised both their pain and their patience.

"No ceremony can return the years that were lost, nor can words erase the pain you have endured. Yet, through this homecoming, our nation affirms that our people and their sacrifice were not forgotten, and their place in the history of Namibia remains secure," she said.

Dignity and recognition

Nehale and Niilenge will be reburied at Heroes' Acre today, alongside fellow liberation struggle heroes Eliaser Tuhadeleni, Hafeni Immanuel Shifidi, Nduuvu Fillemon Nangolo and Nathaniel Maxuilili.

Their tombstones will be unveiled on 26 August, Heroes' Day, as part of the national commemorations.

Nandi-Ndaitwah said the ceremonies would ensure that the two comrades receive the dignity and recognition befitting their contribution to Namibia's liberation.

She also thanked those involved in the recovery, identification and repatriation process, singling out South African President Cyril Ramaphosa for his leadership and commitment in facilitating the historic homecoming.

"The return of our fallen heroes is also a powerful reminder of the enduring bonds of solidarity, shared history and cooperation between our two nations and peoples," the president said.

The 84 ancestral human remains will remain in the care of the Ministry of Education, Innovation, Youth, Sport, Arts and Culture while further historical and identification processes continue.

As Namibia prepares to honour its fallen heroes, Nandi-Ndaitwah urged citizens to carry forward the legacy of those who fought for the country's freedom.

"Their long journey has ended, but their legacy lives on," she said.